Innate... Supreme Ultimate Principle?

"Oh? Is it against the law for me to stay in the Abandoned Lands?" Qi Yuan asked, exasperated. From the look of things, staying here was dangerous, and someone was coming to cause him trouble. The scruffy old Daoist froze for a second. "It isn't against the law, strictly speaking." Indeed, no such mortal law existed in this world. Hearing that, Qi Yuan breathed a sigh of relief. "If it isn't against the law, then what's with all the nonsense? It's my freedom to stay here if I want." The scruffy old Daoist narrowed his eyes and continued, "It may not violate any law, but it is far more severe than breaking the law. It violates... the Heavenly Laws." "Heavenly Laws my ass," Qi Yuan scoffed, entirely dismissive. "Whenever a True God descends upon the Abandoned Lands, they must either be expelled to a faction like our Water Star Palace to undergo purification for a hundred million years, or be hunted down and executed by Heavenly King Mountain. This rule was established by the Heavenly Emperor, and the words of the Heavenly Emperor are the Heavenly Laws." A look of deep reverence crept into the old man's eyes at the mention of the Heavenly Emperor. Qi Yuan felt a twinge of surprise at the name. He had read countless volumes in the Library Pavilion and was privy to certain ancient secrets. Among them was a mysterious expert known as the Heavenly Emperor. He was suspected of being the supreme powerhouse between heaven and earth. Rumor had it that the Heavenly Emperor hailed from the mysterious Shenhan clan and stood as an undisputed pinnacle titan of this vast world. Even the Emperor God of Myriad Gods Mountain had once sought instruction from him. This great world was boundlessly vast, resembling an immense sea concealing countless bubbles, each bubble harboring an entire world. Colossal factions on par with Myriad Gods Mountain were by no means rare. It could truly be said that peerless experts walked among them like clouds. Myriad Gods Mountain boasted the Emperor God as its overseer, twelve Pillars, and dozens of Dao Gods. Such a powerhouse was terrifying beyond measure, yet even a top-tier power like Myriad Gods Mountain merely occupied a modest corner of this grand world, qualifying only as a regional hegemon. In contrast, the Heavenly Emperor Palace, where the Heavenly Emperor resided, had truly held sway over all existence, its renown echoing throughout the cosmos. At its zenith, fully one-third of the universe's great factions paid homage to the Heavenly Emperor. The Heavenly Emperor's decree was revered as the Heavenly Laws. The Heavenly Emperor Palace of old had possessed peerless grandeur; none dared challenge its supremacy. Yet according to ancient texts, the Heavenly Emperor had ceased appearing, having vanished countless epochs ago. He was an immensely ancient and terrifying figure. To think Qi Yuan would hear of the Heavenly Emperor's laws here. "Hasn't the Heavenly Emperor long since disappeared?" Qi Yuan asked in curiosity. "Though the Heavenly Emperor has vanished, his Heavenly Laws endure," the old man revealed. "Well, I'm not a subject of the Heavenly Emperor, so his Heavenly Laws have no authority over me," Qi Yuan replied nonchalantly. The old man showed no surprise at the remark. After all, the Heavenly Emperor was an ancient and distant legend; his renown could hardly intimidate everyone today. Not to mention that the Heavenly Emperor Palace of antiquity had dispersed into smoke long ago. "It seems Fellow Daoist is hopelessly obstinate," the old man sighed. Once the experts from Heavenly King Mountain made their move, Origin Celestial Venerable wouldn't stand a ghost of a chance. The fact that this mission had been assigned to them implied that Origin Celestial Venerable was merely at the Divine Oracle realm. A Divine Oracle expert could certainly be considered a mainstay in any major faction. Yet once Heavenly King Mountain's powerhouses arrived, his death would be certain. Just as the thought crossed the old man's mind, his expression abruptly froze. "Fellow Daoist, the men from Heavenly King Mountain have already arrived." No sooner had the words left his mouth than the skies over the Sky Federation—which had been a tranquil afternoon just moments before—suddenly flushed an ominous shade of crimson. The abrupt anomaly prompted countless citizens to gaze up into the sky in bewilderment. "What happened?" "Why did the sky change color?" In the underground conference hall, Expert Liu and the others looked up at the main monitor, their eyes filled with shock. "A heavenly anomaly! What is going on?" Even with an assembly of top experts in the room, no one could offer an explanation. Fortunately, no explanation was necessary. At that precise moment, a colossal, booming voice rang out across the world, dispelling all confusion while plunging everyone into sheer terror. "Origin Celestial Venerable, come forth and accept your death!" High above the heavens, three majestic deities materialized. The leader had fiery red hair and crimson eyes, towering tens of thousands of yards tall and blotting out the sky. His physique appeared vastly larger than the sun or the moon. Flanking him were a brawny woman and a man cloaked in black robes. The sheer scale of their towering forms defied imagination. The artificial satellites orbiting in space were not even the size of a single strand of hair on their bodies. The people of the Sky Federation were overcome by a terrifying intuition: if these three gods wished it, they could casually pinch the entire Sky Federation to dust with the flick of a finger. Such majesty was unimaginable. Likely even the most advanced weapons the Sky Federation possessed could not scratch them in the slightest. And now, these three gods appeared to be challenging Origin Celestial Venerable. Which meant he stood on an equal footing with them. This realization filled the federation council members—who had previously contemplated vaporizing Origin Celestial Venerable with high-tech armaments—with both shame and dread. Meanwhile, within the territory of the Sky Federation, Qi Yuan wore an unruffled expression. "You're finally here." Qi Yuan seemed utterly relaxed. Facing three True Gods of his own tier, he didn't display the slightest panic. The red-haired man wasn't surprised by the reaction. Which True God wasn't brimming with supreme confidence? If even ordinary mortals could be overconfident, how much more so for gods? The red-haired man cast a casual glance toward the old Daoist huddled in the corner. Though somewhat surprised by his presence, he sneered, "Yet another fool who believes himself invincible!" Generally speaking, when someone from Water Star Palace showed up, True Gods who valued their lives would choose to follow them to Water Star Palace and endure a hundred million years of purification. Since Qi Yuan hadn't left, it proved he had no intention of going to Water Star Palace. The brawny woman laughed as well. "I just love a confident man. It means he must carry a mountain of treasures on him." Qi Yuan stood suspended in the void, exuding an air of laziness. All of a sudden, he snapped his fingers. How could one fight a battle without background music? Granted, his suona squad and funeral banquet entourage hadn't followed him here. However, the Sky Federation had no shortage of televisions, smartphones, and sound systems. "Strike up the music!" Qi Yuan commanded. As soon as his words fell, every mobile phone, computer, television, and audio device across the entire Sky Federation blared to life in unison. A stirring anthem saturated with battle lust roared forth—evoking the chilling desolation of autumn winds, the thunderous charge of ten thousand armies, and the violent upheaval of mountains and rivers. Every citizen of the Sky Federation froze, entirely dumbfounded. High up in the sky, Qi Yuan remarked impassively, "No one can defeat me in my own BGM. Today, I shall play a funeral dirge just for you." "Psycho," the brawny woman spat under her breath. Right then, the black-robed man, who had remained silent all along, struck without warning. He had always favored lurking in the shadows, biding his time for the perfect assassination. Having spotted an opening, he launched a strike of thunderous ferocity without the slightest hesitation. Secrets of Wind! Shadow Overlap! Thunderous Rupture! In an instant, an array of divine arts and divine oracles burst forth. The black-robed man transformed into a reaper of death, lunging to claim Qi Yuan's life. The strike was blisteringly fast and razor-sharp. A smug gleam flashed in the red-haired man's eyes. This black-robed companion was the undisputed master of offensive lethal strikes among them. Caught off guard, even a peak Divine Oracle expert would suffer grievous wounds. Yet in the very next breath, a calm voice echoed. "Didn't I tell you? In my own BGM, I am invincible," Qi Yuan stated placidly. "If you want to beat me, you'll first have to cut the power to the Sky Federation." He stood suspended in the void, letting the black-robed man's assault wash over him. The black-robed man was indeed formidable—strong enough to assassinate a peak Divine Oracle. Yet Qi Yuan's combat power defied all conventional logic. With a gentle flick of his sleeve, the black-robed man's eyes went blind, his tongue lost its voice, and his body was paralyzed. Stripped of every movement, his divine power turned muddy and sluggish, reducing him to a useless cripple. The black-robed man's world plunged into total pitch-black darkness, stripped of all sensation save for... The blaring, blood-pumping, and desolate BGM looping endlessly in his ears. *Crack.* Qi Yuan snapped the black-robed man's life as effortlessly as snapping a dry twig. Witnessing the scene, the red-haired man and the brawny woman turned pale with shock. The strongest fighter among them... had been instantly killed in a single exchange! They exchanged a glance, reading sheer horror and disbelief in each other's eyes. Without hesitation, the red-haired man gritted his teeth and bellowed, "You forced my hand!" It seemed claiming the organization's bounty was out of the question. Right now, preserving their own lives took absolute priority. The red-haired man crushed a jade pendant in his palm and chanted with fervent reverence, "By the august decree of heaven, draw forth misfortune and purge the wicked!" This jade talisman had been forged by Heavenly King Mountain. It was specifically crafted to eliminate True Gods who unwittingly strayed into the Abandoned Lands. Under normal circumstances, True Gods were forbidden from entering the Abandoned Lands; entering guaranteed corruption. It was just that the speed of corruption was usually gradual. This jade served to accelerate Qi Yuan's corruption, weaponizing the calamity of the Abandoned Lands to slaughter him on the spot. "Let's see you survive this!" the red-haired man roared. Against this level of calamity and corruption, even Dao God powerhouses struggled to put up resistance. A mere Divine Oracle like Qi Yuan was dead without a doubt. As the misfortune surged, the Curse of Sinking was instantly triggered. A bizarre transformation overtook Qi Yuan's body. Clusters of grotesque eyeballs seemed to sprout along the strands of his hair. Eerie, demonic, and decadent—every conceivable form of negative miasma billowed from his form. This was the exact aura Qi Yuan had observed on An Baxian's remains. Seeing this, the red-haired man let out a breath of relief. Huddled in his corner, the old Daoist sighed mournfully. "It seems his doom is sealed." With that, the old man's silhouette vanished on the spot. The brawny woman watched with disappointment in her eyes. "We took a massive loss this time." Not only had the black-robed man perished and the bounty slipped from their grasp, but they had also wasted a precious jade talisman. "I'm refining his corpse into a puppet!" the brawny woman snarled resentfully. Because Qi Yuan had been brought down by the red-haired man's talisman triggering the misfortune, the lion's share of his legacy belonged to the red-haired man. The brawny woman could only settle for Qi Yuan's physical remains. Just then, Qi Yuan—engulfed by boundless misfortune—suddenly opened his eyes, his expression utterly serene. "Hey, it's not like I'm your white moonlight. Why are you already bickering over who gets to inherit my estate?" His current state felt remarkably bizarre. He had originally assumed that enduring this misfortune and the Curse of Sinking would be agonizingly painful. After all, according to the records left behind by An Baxian, it was supposed to be sheer torture. Even experts at the God Lord realm could not bear the agony. Yet Qi Yuan discovered that it didn't hurt at all. In fact, it was oddly pleasant. The misfortune and the Curse of Sinking seemed to dissolve his physical body, his spirit, and his true soul. Far from causing pain, it brought a tranquil sensation of emptiness and serenity. It felt like a late afternoon when a gentle ray of sunlight fell across an overworked wage slave, granting him a rare, leisurely moment to lie down and read a book. *Could it be that I have masochistic tendencies?* Qi Yuan couldn't help wondering. *Or have I just been too exhausted lately? Did my mental state finally snap?* "You..." Seeing that Qi Yuan remained fully conscious and clear-headed, the two surviving True Gods were stunned. "Could he possess a special physique?" *Not good!* The instant the thought surfaced, the red-haired man caught the scent of lethal danger. Qi Yuan had clearly reached the terminal stages of the Curse of Sinking. Typically, even a True God would have lost all consciousness by now, turning into a dazed husk before dissolving into oblivion. Yet certain unique constitutions could maintain clarity of mind—even if they were still destined to perish in the end. However... if he was still lucid, didn't that mean he could still kill them?! His deduction was entirely correct. Or rather, before he could even finish the thought, a single strand of hair slashed out like the sharpest blade in existence, cutting him to pieces. As for the brawny woman, she fared no better, failing to escape death. The gulf between their strength and Qi Yuan's was simply too vast. In the span of a single breath, all three True Gods laying siege to him had perished. Qi Yuan stood alone in the void, a terrifying aura radiating from his entire being. Misfortune and wickedness dragged everything toward total oblivion. Qi Yuan narrowed his eyes. "One more breath and I will truly die. It seems I must use the Sword of Oblivion." This sensation was indeed mesmerizing, and he felt no physical pain. However, it would genuinely kill him. Qi Yuan could already sense that in the end, his body, hair, and flesh would dissolve into nothingness. The Sword of Oblivion struck downward. It was an unremarkable, utterly ordinary sword strike. Yet the misfortune and Curse of Sinking—afflictions that left even Dao Gods powerless—were cleanly severed in that instant. "Oblivion is everything." "Oblivion is the beginning." "Oblivion is the end." "Oblivion is the sole hope." Qi Yuan's physical shell shattered. Every piece of flesh and blood corroded to death by the misfortune and the Curse of Sinking peeled away entirely. His aura was instantly restored to pristine perfection. "Did I just... learn something?" As the Sword of Oblivion fell, an abrupt epiphany washed over Qi Yuan. "Why do I feel like I'm on the verge of comprehending another Supreme Ultimate Principle? Innate... could it be?" In the Sixth Heaven of the Immortal Realm, the Supreme Ultimate Principles were divided into four categories: Innate, Sole, Cycle, and Absolute. He had previously grasped Absolute Adaptation and Do As One Pleases, and had seized Sole Great Sun from the Great Sun. Now, after taking a blow from the misfortune and the Curse of Sinking, he felt as though he were about to comprehend another Supreme Ultimate Principle. Innate... Of course, it was merely a fleeting flash of inspiration, still far from true mastery. "The Innate category has nothing to do with comprehension; it relies purely on bloodline and origin. Don't tell me getting sick caused a genetic mutation?" Qi Yuan muttered under his breath. Perhaps if he endured a bit more misfortune or the Curse of Sinking, his understanding would deepen. "The waters run quite deep here," Qi Yuan mused. Still, no matter how deep the waters were, it was ultimately just a game. Now that the invaders from Heavenly King Mountain were dead, he had to continue traveling across the various Abandoned Lands to enact his plan and shelter these realms. ... In the blink of an eye, a century flashed past. A look of disappointment hung in Godchild Ha Jin's eyes. "A full century, yet I still haven't broken through to the God Lord realm. It seems I'll have to answer Father God's draft and head out this time." He had no desire to go to the front lines. Out there, peaceful cultivation was impossible, and the danger of falling in battle loomed constantly. "Sigh, the time granted to us was simply too short." The smile had faded from Goddaughter Xi Shui's face. She, too, remained stuck at the Divine Oracle realm and was bound for the front lines. Only by breaking through to the God Lord realm could one earn ten thousand years of freedom, exempt from wartime conscription and service on the front lines. "Has anyone broken through to the God Lord realm during this period?" Ha Jin asked. Xi Shui pondered a moment. "Three of them did: Zhan Li, Luo Hua, and Fen Tian." "Those three got lucky," Ha Jin remarked with envy. "By the way, Eleventh Godchild Tong Xun is also marching to the front lines this time. He will likely conscript Qi Yuan as a subordinate," Xi Shui added mildly. She paid close attention to this younger brother of theirs. Eleventh Prince Tong Xun was a late-stage God Lord True God. Back when Tan Ying was still alive, he and Tong Xun had been exceptionally close. Tong Xun had expended considerable effort to help Tan Ying become an honorary disciple of the Immeasurable Dao God. Tan Ying's demise was a heavy blow to Tong Xun, but lacking concrete evidence, he couldn't openly move against Qi Yuan. Moreover, with Tong Xun's temperament, he would never strike casually, but once he did, blood was guaranteed to flow. With his deployment, he would almost certainly conscript Qi Yuan into his ranks to exact his vengeance. "Then it seems Qi Yuan is out of luck. He'll probably end up dead on the front lines." "Sigh. Though he keeps close ties with God Lord Heitian, even God Lord Heitian won't be able to protect him." "Stop worrying about others. We should worry about ourselves—let's make sure we don't die on the front lines first."